BACKGROUND: Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa) are commonly used in assisted reproduction technology (ART) cycles to prevent a luteinising hormone (LH) surge during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) prior to planned ooc…
BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) occurs in 8% to 13% of all women of reproductive age and 50% of women presenting with infertility (i.e. inability to reach a pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual inte…
Study questionAre perinatal outcomes following fresh blastocyst versus fresh cleavage stage embryo transfer (ET) different in singletons, twins, and between singleton siblings?Summary answerSingleton babies conceived following fresh blastoc…
BACKGROUND: Endometriosis affects 190 million women and those assigned female at birth worldwide. For some, it is associated with debilitating chronic pelvic pain. Diagnosis of endometriosis is often achieved through diagnostic laparoscopy.…
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the optimal route of progesterone administration for luteal phase support in a frozen embryo transfer. DESIGN: Systematic review. PATIENTS: Women undergoing frozen embryo transfer (FET). INTERVENTIONS: We conduc…
Study questionDoes a policy of elective freezing of embryos, followed by frozen embryo transfer result in a higher healthy baby rate, after first embryo transfer, when compared with the current policy of transferring fresh embryos?Summary a…
The treatment of unexplained infertility is a contentious topic that continues to attract a great deal of interest amongst clinicians, patients and policy makers. The inability to identify an underlying pathology makes it difficult to devis…
BackgroundMild ovarian stimulation has emerged as an alternative to conventional IVF with the advantages of being more patient-friendly and less expensive. Inadequate data on pregnancy outcomes and concerns about the cycle cancellation rate…
STUDY QUESTION: Can we use prediction modelling to estimate the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 19) related delay in starting IVF or ICSI in different groups of women? SUMMARY ANSWER: Yes, using a combination of three different m…
STUDY QUESTION: Is it feasible to undertake a randomised controlled trial to establish whether surgical removal of endometrioma or not, improves live birth rates from IVF? SUMMARY ANSWER: A randomised controlled trial (RCT) comparing surge…
BACKGROUND: The reproductive impact of adenomyosis and endometriosis is widely researched but the extent of these impacts remains elusive. It has been demonstrated that endometriosis, in particular, is known to result in subfertility but en…
BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) occurs in 4% to 7% of all women of reproductive age and 50% of women presenting with subfertility. Subfertility affects 15% to 20% of couples trying to conceive. A significant proportion of the…
Better imaging techniques will result in more women who are undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) being diagnosed with adenomyosis. Preliminary data suggest that adenomyosis may have implications for the outcome of IVF. However, available…
BACKGROUND: Gonadotropins are the most commonly used medications for controlled ovarian stimulation in in vitro fertilisation (IVF). However, they are expensive and invasive, and are associated with the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation synd…
BACKGROUND: Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa) are commonly used in assisted reproduction technology (ART) cycles to prevent a luteinising hormone surge during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) prior to planned oocyte …
Despite the development of in vitro fertilization (IVF) more than 30 years ago, the cost of treatment remains high. Furthermore, over the years, more sophisticated technologies and expensive medications have been introduced, making IVF incr…
Demands on the gynaecologist from patients seeking help with suboptimal fertility continue to grow, and fertility-related issues are often in the gaze of the media. Obstetricians and gynaecologists need to ensure that they are up to date, i…
BACKGROUND: In-vitro fertilization (IVF) is the treatment of choice for unresolved infertility. It comprises a number of key steps, each of which has to be negotiated before the next is attempted, but the factors which are associated with f…
BACKGROUND: Uterine adenomyosis was initially thought to be found only in parous women, and final diagnosis was made at histology after hysterectomy. With better imaging techniques and with women attending clinics at older ages, adenomyosis…